Pocket-closer



(No Model.)

J. DEAN.

POCKET CLOSER.

Np. 540,300. Patented June 4, 1895.

NIIED STATES JOHN DEAN, OF RAOINE, VVISOONSIN' POCKET-CLOSER.

$IECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,300, dated June 4, 1 895.

Application filed OctoberlS, 1892. Serial No. 449,229 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DEAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Racine, in the county of Racine, and in the State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Closers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful pocket closing devicefor attachment to pockets to prevent the contents thereof from falling out, and consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Vest to one of the pockets of which my improved device has been applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view of my device detached from the pocket.

My improved device consists of a wire or strip of metal or other elastic material, preferably bent at its central portion A to a substantially semicircular form as shown. The two ends A A of said wire are bent downwardly in the same plane as the curved part A, and are preferably bent outward at their lower ends. By thus bending the wire, loops at a are formed at the junctions of the down wardly bent portions A A with the curved central portion A. The lower ends of the downwardly bent portions A A, are conveniently bent so as to form rings or eyes a a which present smooth rounded surfaces.

In applying my improved device to a pocket, I spring the downwardly bent ends A A slightly toward each other and insert said ends in the pocket, but'arrangethe curved central part Aso as to come upon the outside of the front portion of the pocket in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. When the ends A A of the wire have been inserted in the pocket, and permitted to expand, they will obviously exert a pressure upon the opposite sides of the pocket so as to stretch the front and rear sides of the pocket tight and prevent them from sagging.

By the arrangement of the device with the curved central part A to engage with the front side of the pocket it follows that when articles are inserted in the pocket, the front side of the pocket will be pressed outward against the curved central part of the wire, said wire obviously serving to resist said outward pressure, and thus operating to press the outer side of the pocket against said articles and prevent their dropping out, in an obvious manner. When the articles do not project from the pocket, the expansive force of the spring arms A A will be sufficient to stretch the pocket laterally so as to hold the top edges together and prevent the articles from accidentally dropping out.

My improved device is especially adapted for use in connection with the pockets of vests, in which pencils, pen holders, or other smaller articles are frequently placed.

A common fault with pockets not provided with a device of this nature, is that whenever the wearer stoops or leans over, the articles contained in the pockets are liable to slip out, and often do so without being noticed by the wearer and are thus lost. With my improved device, however, accidental loss of the articles contained in the pocket is effectually guarded against.

If it is desired to permanently attach the device to a pocket, this may be readily done by sewing through the eyes a a in a familiar manner, but ordinarily the device will be simply adjusted in position in the manner described and retained in its positionby the engagement of the spring arms A A with opposite sides of the pocket.

My device is exceedingly simple in its construction, cheap to manufacture and adapted to be readily applied to the pocket.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A pocket closer consisting of a wire or strip of elastic material having atransverse central portion and downwardly bent spring arms at'opposite ends thereof, said arms being arranged to diverge and provided at their lower ends with rings or eyes, and adapted for engagement with opposite edges of a pocket, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of \Visconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DEAN.

Witnesses:

J. W. TEMPLE, Gno. D. FELLOWS. 

